Kevin Hogan has not had a perfect season for the 10-2 Stanford Cardinal, but it’s hardly been a boring season for the junior, who was 12-of-18 with one touchdown against Notre Damein a 27-20 victory on Saturday night.

Hogan has proven that he can get the job done for the Cardinal, who are bidding for a BCS bowl with the Rose Bowl in mind. He came into the Notre Damegame with a completion percentage of 60.6 percent, while having tallied 2,052 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. It wasn’t a perfect game against the Irish with Hogan throwing two interceptions, but the Cardinal got the W.

Hogan used his receivers well, with six catching at least one pass and a trio snagging three of his aerials. He will be tested in the Rose Bowl, but seems ready to go and have a big performance.

Oregon’s collapse has obviously given Stanford life with the BCS, but Hogan’s clutch performances on offense and his leadership in critical games can’t go unnoticed. He has shown plenty of poise under pressure this season. A few points here and there, and the Cardinal could still be undefeated.

He entered the Notre Dame game having completed 50 percent of his passes thrown 25 yards or longer this season, which is up 20 percentage points from last season. That’s a key stat that has helped the Stanford offense make the key plays. Hogan has been criticized for not doing enough at times, but he’s made Stanford a factor in the BCS picture, which is all the Cardinal can ask for this particular season

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